OXFORD, Ohio - The River States Conference is pleased to announce the Player of the Week honorees for the past week.
All awards represent contests played from Monday, October 5 through Sunday, October 11.
Women's Volleyball Players of the Week
Attacker of the Week
Mya Grigsby, IU Kokomo | Junior - Outside Hitter - Greenfield, Indiana
Mya Grigsby led IU Kokomo to a 3-0 week with 50 kills, 30 digs and six total blocks while hitting .300 on 100 swings. The junior outside hitter averaged 4.5 kills per set, highlighted by a 22-kill performance on .459 hitting at IU East, before recording a double-double against Lindsey Wilson. Grigsby continued her dominant offensive play while helping the Cougars extend their winning streak to eight matches.
Setter of the Week
Lydia Steyer, Rio Grande | Junior - Setter - Perrysburg, Ohio
Steyer was once again the conduit for Rio's offensive success in three wins, including two in RSC action. Across 12 sets, the junior racked up 119 assists, just shy of ten per set. She eclipsed that in both RSC matches, racking up 95 conference assists across nine sets.
Defender of the Week
Gaby Fernandez, SMWC | Junior - Libero - Arecibo, Puerto Rico
Fernandez led SMWC with 47 digs across two road victories, averaging 6.71 digs per set. She recorded 25 digs in the four-set win at Midway and 22 more in the sweep at Indiana East. Fernandez also handled 34 serve receptions with just one error for a .971 reception percentage, helping the Pomeroys secure both wins.
Men's Soccer Players of the Week
Offensive Player of the Week
Joost Hermeling, WVU Tech | Junior - Forward - Rastede, Germany
Hermeling scored five goals across two RSC victories as WVU Tech went 2-0 and outscored its opponents 13-1. The junior recorded a hat trick on three shots, all on goal, in Tech's 10-0 road victory over Kentucky Christian. He followed with two more goals in the Golden Bears' 3-1 win over St. Mary-Woods, including the opening goal just 3:10 into the match. Hermeling finished the week with five goals and 10 points, scoring five of WVU Tech's 13 goals.
Defensive Player of the Week
Samy Hamou, Rio Grande | Sophomore - Goalkeeper - Paris, France
Hamou kept the RedStorm undefeated in conference play, posting back-to-back shutouts in matches against St. Mary-of-the-Woods and Brescia. The RedStorm defense did not allow many challenges to the Frenchmen, who turned away his only challenge in the win over SMWC.
Women's Soccer Players of the Week
Offensive Player of the Week
Stephanie Beaulieu, Rio Grande | Sophomore - Forward - Morrow, Ohio
Beaulieu was a dominant force in Rio Grande's 8-0 victory over St. Mary-of-the-Woods on Thursday. The sophomore scored half of the RedStorm's goals in the win, peppering the SMWC net with ten total shots and eight shots on goal.
Defensive Player of the Week
Laura Thompson, Brescia | Junior - Goalkeeper - Wuerzburg, Germany
Thompson returned from injury and did not miss a beat as she collected a pair of shutouts. She made eleven total saves on the week, including ten in a scoreless draw against Rio Grande. She also made one in a 1-0 victory over IU Columbus.
Cross Country Runners of the Week
Men's Cross Country Runner of the Week
Evan McElwayne, WVU Tech | Junior - Clarksburg, West Virginia
McElwayne led WVU Tech at the Royals Cross Country Challenge, finishing 12th overall in a personal-best 26:24.6. The junior improved his previous 8K best by 40.9 seconds and moved from No. 8 to No. 7 on WVU Tech's all-time 8K performance list. McElwayne was the Golden Bears' top finisher and helped WVU Tech place ninth among 18 scoring teams with 286 points.
Women's Cross Country Runner of the Week
Lexie Wikel, WVU Tech | Junior - Mullens, West Virginia
Wikel led the WVU Tech women at the Royals Cross Country Challenge, completing the 5K in 21:07.8 to finish 68th in a field of 144 runners. The junior was the Golden Bears' top women's finisher in a large field featuring NCAA and NAIA competition. With only two WVU Tech runners completing the race, the Golden Bears did not record a team score.
Golfers of the Week
Men's Golfer of the Week
Hunter Zdyb, IU Kokomo | Junior - Michigan City, Indiana
Hunter Zdyb captured the individual title at IU Kokomo's home tournament, the Crimson Classic, carding rounds of 73 and 71 to finish at 2-over-par for the 36-hole event. Zdyb's final-round 71 helped lead the Cougars to the team championship, as IU Kokomo posted rounds of 304 and 292 to finish 21 strokes ahead of runner-up Holy Cross.
Women's Golfer of the Week
Anna Simpson, Midway | Sophomore - Bloomfield, Kentucky
Simpson grabbed a lead on the first day proved to be enough, as the Midway sophomore claimed individual medalist honors at the RSC Fall Preview. The Third Team All-Conference selection from 2025-26 held off a charge, firing a three-over 75 in the final round to win by three shots.